This Love Thing
by Asanisan
Summary: I'm ignoring this love thing. Who needs it anyway? Kakasaku oneshot


I take a deep breath and take stock of my situation. My chest is tight, making it hard breathe. My head feels light, as if it would float away if it weren't attached. My palms are sweating. My face is hot. I feel like I'm going to throw up.

"What do you say, Sakura-chan?"

My breath hitches as he takes a step closer. What does he want me to say? How do you respond to that kind of thing? Coming from him, it's so out of the blue. I need time to think. I need to stall.

"C-Could you repeat the question, please?"

His eyes crease and I know he's smiling under that irksome mask. I can't tell if it's real or not, but either way he seems very indulging right now, as if I'm the stupid child he taught so long ago. I take a step back as he follows through with my request.

"Will you fall in love with me already?"

It's an easy question to answer, but he says it as if he knows exactly what my answer will be, which he doesn't. I don't play that game. I stopped playing that game after the Uchiha bastard left, but- damn it all to hell- my heart keeps pounding in my ears when he gets this close to me. I can't help it. It's not something that used to happen. It just started one day and wouldn't go away, but despite that, I refuse to give in. I refuse. I refuse. I refuse!

He reaches a hand out and cradles my neck before I can tell him this. He might as well have started strangling me. Both actions have the same effect. The lump in my throat will not be swallowed. My face feels feverish. I grab fistfuls of my skirt to try to get rid of the wetness on my palms.

What is he thinking? How can he possibly be asking this? How can he possibly be doing this? He's finally gone crazy. That's why his eyes are gleaming like that. That's why he's making me feel so nervous and scared. Any moment now, he's going to snap. Then he's going to snap my neck when he snaps and it will be a great big snapping festival. My God, I think I've snapped. I have to go. I have to get away. I have to get as far away from this man as possible and I have to do it now.

I have to run.

I try. I do try. I jump away and leap for the trees. They're almost in my grasp. I can almost feel the rough bark under my reaching fingers. Then my face is in the ground and all my fingers find is cool grass. Ah, he's grabbed my foot and thrown me into the ground. He really needs to work on his people skills. He could have just asked me not to go. I wouldn't have listened, but still. I would have liked to be asked.

I roll over and try to kick him, but he's already sitting on top of me.

"You haven't answered me yet. Don't think you'll get away until you do."

He says it smugly and I want to use my scary strength to wipe that smirk off the face under that mask. He expects that though, and I suspect the only way out of this is to throw him off balance. It wouldn't be hard to literally throw him off balance. He's perched on top of me. All I have to do is arch my back and give him a shove and he'll be the one eating dirt, but I know we'll only end up in exactly the same position once he gets up.

He pokes my nose and singsongs my name. He's really annoying. I don't want to deal with this right now. I don't to deal with this ever.

"Just say you will. That's all it takes. Just a simple three letter word."

I have to change the subject.

"I have malaria and if you don't get off of me right now, you'll have a big mess on your hands."

What the hell was that? Malaria? That's almost as lame as the excuses he makes. Could I make a bigger fool out of myself?

"You shouldn't tell lies, Sakura."

He says this with a smile, the big hypocrite. He's always telling lies. He tells half-truths too, which I think is even worse than the lies. I need to think of something else. Think! What will get me out of this horrible situation?

When all else fails, the truth shall set you free.

"I won't! I won't say it!"

He chuckles and suddenly he's lying on top of me, two strong arms on either side of my head holding him up as he leans over me.

"Well, if you won't fall in love with me, I'll just have to seduce you."

Apparently the truth will land you in an even worse predicament and nowhere near the promised freedom. I'm never telling the truth again!

He kisses my neck and the fabric of his mask is soft and sends a shiver up my spine. She faces burns and my breaths won't come in right. I can't help it and it's not fair. I don't want this! I don't!

"You've gone crazy! What do you think you're doing? You can't do this! Do you know who I am? I could decapitate you with a flick of my little finger. I could crush your bones to make my bread for touching me like this."

He kisses me again. The fabric is wet this time and he sucks in the taste of my skin. He whispers against my neck in those deep, serious tones of his.

"So why don't you?"

And I'm crying. I try to make it stop, but I don't have the heart. He stops to just look at me and stare at the hot tears that roll down my burning cheeks. I throw a hand over my eyes to try to hide them. I don't want him to see me like this. I don't want to be here. I'm so frustrated. I'm so angry. I'm so scared beyond belief.

"I don't need another heartbreak, Kakashi. I won't stand for it. I refuse."

I can't see him, but I do hear him sigh. His weight shifts and I'm sure he'll get off of me. That's what he's always done. When I get emotional, he lets me work it out by myself until I have it under control again. Now won't be any different. Why would it be any different?

And then there were warm lips on mine. Not fabric, but actual lips. I…I don't…I don't know what to think.

"I never said anything about heartbreak. It's not included in this deal."

He's full of it. He's making me mad.

"You can't guarantee that."

He moves the hand away from my eyes. I'm shocked to see the bare skin of his face. I try to memorize it for later, because I know I'll probably never see it again. It's the only good thing to come out of this horrible situation. It's probably ruined our friendship.

"My feelings haven't changed in seven years, Sakura. Any heartbreak that comes out of this would be mine."

I look away from him up to the clear blue sky. I could almost fall into it. I wish I could. I want to believe his words. I want to so much. I just don't know if I still have it in me to believe him. I try to make light of the situation.

"Seven years ago, I was seventeen."

He smiles at me and for the first time I get to see it. It'll be the perfect ending to this relationship, but it doesn't stop me from scoffing at his guile.

"Pedophile."

He leans down to whisper in my ear and I think he takes a big whiff of my hair. This is all very, very odd to me. It doesn't fit with what I thought him capable of.

"Only when it comes to you. I'm not going anywhere, Sakura."

He says it as if it's the honest to God, unfailing truth. I almost believe him.

"That's a little scary, you know."

I know that he knows more than anyone how scary this love thing can be. I can't imagine what it took for him to ask me what he did.

"I know."

I must have given him some sign, some indication, that I'm in love with him, even though I even lied to myself about it. It was probably something only he would notice. He's good at noticing those small, minute little details.

"If you break my heart, I'll break your spine in half."

I didn't mean it, but he doesn't need to know that.

"I wouldn't expect anything less."

He's entirely too accepting of me. Then again, I'm entirely too accepting of him as well. I'll never tell him this, but I even like his lame excuses for being late. That doesn't mean I'll suddenly get over how lovey-dovey he's suddenly acting. Hopefully, he'll go back to normal once we get this weird situation cleared away.

"I'm probably going to take some time to get used to this. A lot of time."

He nuzzles into my neck and I can feel his happiness radiating through to me. So much for getting back to normal.

"So you'll fall in love with me?"

It's not a question anymore. Not really. It never was, actually.

"Yeah, I'll fall in love with you."

**Author's Note:**

This is a romance without any romantic language, ideals, or imagery. Don't you just feel cheated? Is Kakashi OOC? You nice readers tell me, now. You hear?

...I'm thinking of just making this AU. I feel it has nothing to with Naruto. Oh well.

Sani


End file.
